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The Spectre Perspective On Inferno

Once in a blue moon a video game console gets hit with something that really makes everyone jump for joy. For the OUYA console, it was when Inferno was ported over and boy was it something we ate up. However, due to being a frugal individual, I can't be included in the lot that did as it wasn't until recently did I pick up the game. Is the game truly the hit the community clammered on about all those months, or was it just something people played because there wasn't anything else at the time? Find out for this is the Inferno review.

To start things off, Inferno is a top-down dual-stick shooter and it controls the same as any other in the same genre. You move with the left analog stick and aim with the right analog stick with the latter auto-firing if touched. Outside the traditional move and shoot, you're able to have drones accompany you via an obtainable item within numerous levels which act as turrets that follow you, shoot with you, and shoot anything that comes in close proximity. You're also able to acquire bombs which are used to kill specific enemies that are immune to other forms of attack and act as a screen nuke.

Furthermore, the player has the option to buy upgrades for their ship from the shop which are found in every regular level that will enable them to have more health, rapid-fire, longer shield duration, and numerous other things that will make the journey more enjoyable. You can purchase these things with the game's currency which can be obtained by defeating an enemy, or finding them throughout the level. That being said, you can't just save up your cash and equip everything all at once since you must defeat enemies in order to be able to level up to acquire upgrade points. Think of it as this game's way of having you work for your upgrades outside collecting the currency as you can only equip so many things at a given time depending on how many upgrade points you have. The only problem I have with this system is the fact that you can't see your experience bar which means that you have no idea when your next level up is going to be, but other than that it's fine.

With all this said, you're tasked with blasting your way through 40 levels which includes bonus levels and boss levels that will test you in more ways than one with your ultimate goal being to reach the exit panel found in each level. The bonus levels are basically a race to collect as much as you can before the timer runs out, whereas the boss levels pin you up against a giant opponent that will have you maneuver very strategically in order to defeat them. The game always has you up against new kinds of obstacles including a surprising amount of enemy variety which will make sure you're not going to get bored anytime soon.

This may seem like the game has layers upon layers of options for how you play, but this is unfortunately not the case. You have multiple ships to choose from but they're too similar to justify making them separate as the biggest difference is what kind of bullets you're shooting and what kind of shield you have. You can change your ship from the shop, but there's really no point other than to try something different for that one time whereas you'll just be sticking with what you prefer from thereon. This strikes me as very odd given the kind of game Inferno is which thrives on replay-value, but having what's essentially four of the same thing goes against this.

The game also sports a New Game+ option along with multiple difficulty settings which drastically change how the game plays since level one on the hardest difficulty can be compared to level 30 on the normal difficulty. This adds a lot of replay-value and the game also has what is called Scorched Mode where you must collect as many things as you can before time runs. Though, unlike the other difficulties, this mode is not fun to the point where it feels as though it was added just so the game could be marketed as having more than just the main mode to play. The game also has in-game achievements which aren't anything other than fluff. Really, there's nothing to do aside from the main mode.

At least the soundtrack and the visuals are good which are some of this game's strong points. The music pumping and certainly true to the genre, but it only changes when you complete ten levels which can be repetitive if you're in the levels for too long. The visuals are, again, true to the genre by being simplistic and having the main aesthetic be neon. One might call the visuals too simplistic for their own good, but anything more detailed would act as a hindrance to the player since there can be a lot going on during some of the later levels.

In conclusion, the game is simply okay. There's not much to say about Inferno as there's no story to be had, or a purpose other than to beat it. It's very one-dimensional in this aspect like any other game in the same genre, but it's still a game worth its asking price. The flaws it does have are sporadic but prevalent like the fact that all the ships are basically the same which makes for a one-track experience, but there are positives such as how much content there is to experience. In the end the game gets a three out of five.

I remember it as a truly fun game back to back, but maybe it was because we didn't have that much else to play as you said. I have to go back and play through this again after beating Inferno 2 to see if I was blinded by a desperate longing for entertainment or if I still think it's a fun game. Stay tuned as I embark on this magical journey of meaningless analysis, futile effort and minimal personal growth!

I remember it as a truly fun game back to back, but maybe it was because we didn't have that much else to play as you said. I have to go back and play through this again after beating Inferno 2 to see if I was blinded by a desperate longing for entertainment or if I still think it's a fun game. Stay tuned as I embark on this magical journey of meaningless analysis, futile effort and minimal personal growth!

I'm going to review the sequel as well, but not anytime soon since I will most likely burn myself out due to the similarities it may have which will create a biased stance against it. I feel as though Inferno was something the console needed at the time of its release despite the average score. I think in the present time it's a good way to determine whether or not a developer's game is of acceptable quality making Inferno a makeshift mid-tier quality bar for games in the same genre.

As I've said elsewhere, it's certainly a good game, only disappointing if you are expecting something spectacular - which it is not.

OUYA console to become doorstop when store server shuts down. But since it seems to be safe so far, we just need a place to collect new (and updated?) OUYA titles.
Have you made your game sideload-able for OUYA hardware? Put it on http://itch.io, then let me know and i'll add it to a collection we can all link to.